It was the end of the third quarter, and our prom was about to happen. Our prom is a bit different—each of us had to invite our guardian, and we were allowed to dance with anybody during the "Dance for All." But we also had another kind of dance—a presentation dance where we were partnered up with Grade 12 students.
When we were called to go down to the stage to find a partner, I was nervous. I was just a Grade 10 student, and I thought my partner would be taller than me. I imagined looking stupid while dancing. But to my surprise, when I saw my partner, she was almost the same height as me.
We practiced non-stop for the prom. Then one day, in the middle of practice, we had to work on a 3D model for our Sci-Math exhibit. Mae needed a box cutter and asked me if I had one. I said no—and what she said next completely caught me off guard. She said, "Plsss, babe…"
I was shocked. Really shocked. I knew she was just teasing me, but I almost punched the air out of embarrassment. I looked away and said, "I-I don't have one." Even my other classmates were laughing so hard at me.
Another day came, and something unexpected happened. My partner was absent because of an event, so our instructor said someone who wasn't practicing should temporarily partner with me. It was Rami—the same girl I got partnered with for ballroom dancing back in Grade 9. She gave a side-eye to her friends as we started dancing. She didn't even hold my hand at first, and the instructor saw it. He said practice wouldn't end until we did it properly. It finally ended when they were satisfied. Afterward, I saw Rami give her friend a nasty look, but they just laughed and said sorry.
Finally, dance practice ended. All the steps were done, and we were ready for prom. I found a decent suit, and when prom night came, it was amazing. The venue was spacious, and my classmates looked stunning.
And then I saw her—Mae.
Words couldn't describe how beautiful she was. During the Dance for All, she went wild, dancing to different songs like a true star. I almost asked her to dance with me... but I guess I wasn't confident enough.
Still, I enjoyed our prom. It was amazing.
Then came the fourth quarter. Mae told me she wasn't going to study here for Grade 11. I felt kind of sad... but it made me think:
"I should tell her."
To be continued…